New at Southwest Sound

Aug. 4Eagles of Death Metal, “I Love You All The Time: Live In Paris”Music has the one of the greatest powers in the world to bring people together in the face of adversity, and to shine a light on hope where there seemingly is none. On Nov. 15, 2015, The Eagles of Death Metal were playing a smallish show to 1,500 people at the Bataclan theatre in Paris, France. The show came to a halt when three armed men attacked the theatre during EoDM’s set, killing 90 people and wounding over 200 more. The concert was canceled, and the world grieved with Paris. In February of 2016, EoDM returned to Paris to finish the show that never ended at the Olympia.

This live album is the recording of that momentous event, and it is charged with just as much passion, love, and heart that it should be. The band members are occasionally overcome with emotion, and it’s hard to not get caught up in the spectacle of it all. When frontman Jesse Hughes launches into the second verse of the track “I Love You All The Time” in heavily-accented French, you can feel the positivity emanating from the crowd. If you don’t know EoDM, they are a swagger rock band to the highest degree. Emotion, though not foreign to their sound, is not often so intrinsic to songs about sex and drugs, but this show proves that what brings people together doesn’t matter. It just proves that love will overcome hate, and that will always be the case.

Dead Cross, “Dead Cross”It seems like almost every month I write about a new supergroup that shows up and disappoints time and time again. But! It is not the case today. Today we have something very special. Bringing together current and former members of Retox, The Locust, Slayer, and Faith No More, Dead Cross is an unholy mind-eff of a record. Mike Patton, legendary vocalist of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, who crosses genre boundaries like some of us cross the street, has such a strange delivery on here. It goes from shrieks and babbling to soft mid-range operatic vocals, with the pounding of the instruments not leaving much breathing room. The pummeling drum work of Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer) is another highlight, with just enough flourish to keep you interested but not overwhelming. And the dual attack of bass and guitars from The Locust’s Justin Pearson and Retox’s Mike Crain give the momentum the album needs to carry itself, with a solid groove laying the groundwork for the weirdness that comes throughout the record. And to think they say that punk is dead. It isn’t dead. It just got weird.

Other albums releasing this week include: Todd Snider’s Hard Working Americans “We’re All In This Together,” modern blues darling Kenny Wayne Shepherd “Lay It On Down,” Coldplay’s “Kaleidoscope” EP, and Swedish underground black metal legends Svartsyn’s new album “In Death.”